Voltage reference generator with flexible control of voltage
A voltage reference generator includes a current source for generating a source current in response to a control voltage and a current sink for conducting the source current to generate a reference voltage. Additionally, a switch block is configurable to determine the level of the source current conducted through the current sink. Furthermore, a reference current generator includes transistors operating in weak inversion with an active load coupled to one of the transistors.
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This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2004-74821, filed on Sep. 18, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to voltage reference generators, and more particularly, to a voltage reference generator with flexible control of the generated voltage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Silicon which may be a conductor or a nonconductor is frequently used for fabricating a semiconductor device. With impurities such as donors or accepters doping silicon, movable electrical charges (i.e. electrons or holes) are generated in the silicon to determine the electrical property of the semiconductor device.
Ion implantation or deposition is used for doping the silicon with such impurities. In addition, electrons and holes are continuously generated and extinguished in the semiconductor device. For example, if the semiconductor absorbs sufficient energy, electron-hole pairs are generated. Such generated electron-hole pairs are subsequently extinguished by recombination after an elapse of time.
Such generation and extinction of the electron-hole pairs result in leakage current of at least several micro-amperes (μA) or more in an integrated circuit. Such leakage current is difficult to eliminate, and the level of such leakage current is difficult to predict. For low power integrated circuits, such leakage current must be considered during the design.
A voltage reference generator is commonly used in integrated circuits for providing a reference voltage that is constant irrespective of a variation in a supply voltage, temperature, or manufacturing process. For example, the voltage reference generator is commonly used in an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). In particular, as systems are desired to consume low power, the voltage reference generator is also desired to consume low power.
A conventional voltage reference circuit generates a reference voltage from an energy band gap of silicon. However, for low power consumption at low levels of current, leakage current becomes significant compared with the level of current in the voltage reference circuit.
When a resistance R1 is properly adjusted, the two NMOSFETs N1 and N2 operate in weak inversion. The two NMOSFETs N1 and N2 and thus the voltage reference circuit 200 consume considerably less power than the prior art. Since operation of the voltage reference circuit 200 is known to one of ordinary skill in the art, generation of the reference voltage VREF is now described.
Referring to
The voltage VR2 is expressed as the following Equation (1):
Here, R1 and R2 are resistances of the two resistors as illustrated in
of a gate width (W1) to a gate length (L1) of the NMOSFET N1 and the ratio
of a gate width (W2) to a gate length (L2) of the NMOSFET N2 as expressed in the following Equation (2):
In the Equation (1) above, the voltage VR2 across the resistor R2 is proportional to absolute temperature. On the other hand, the gate to source voltage VN3 of the NMOSFET N3 is inversely proportional to absolute temperature. Accordingly, the reference voltage VREF can be controlled to be constant irrespective of temperature by properly adjusting the voltages VR2 and VN3.
The conventional voltage reference circuit 200 may operate with low current and thereby low power dissipation. However, for such low power operation, the resistances R1 and/or R2 may be relatively high such as several kilo-ohms (KΩ) to several mega-ohms (MΩ). However, such a high resistance occupies a large area of an integrated circuit, and the resistance value may be difficult to control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, a voltage reference generator of the present invention provides a reference voltage with flexible control of the reference voltage and with low power consumption without a resistor.
A voltage reference generator according to an aspect of the present invention includes a current source for generating a source current in response to a control voltage. In addition, the voltage reference generator includes a current sink for conducting the source current to generate a reference voltage. Additionally, a switch block is coupled between the current source and the current sink and is configurable to determine the level of the source current conducted through the current sink.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the switch block is comprised of a plurality of fuses, and a number of the fuses that are opened determines the level of the source current conducted through the current sink.
In a voltage reference generator according to another aspect of the present invention, a reference current generator for generating the control voltage includes a current mirror of two transistors operating in weak inversion. The reference current generator also includes an active load coupled to one of the transistors and formed by another transistor operating in strong inversion.
In this manner, with operation of transistors in weak inversion, the voltage reference generator has low power consumption and generates a reference voltage that is independent of temperature. In addition, by using an active load, the transistors operate in weak inversion without use of a resistor. The switching block is used to flexibly adjust the reference voltage level even after fabrication of the voltage reference generator.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when described in detailed exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
The figures referred to herein are drawn for clarity of illustration and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Elements having the same reference number in
The reference current generator 310 includes three PMOSFETs (P-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) P1, P2, and P3 and four NMOSFETs (N-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) N1, N1, N3, and N4. The MOSFETs of the reference current generator 310 are configured to generate a constant reference current that is not affected by supply voltages VDD and VSS and temperature.
In addition, the reference current generator 310 generates a control voltage Icon at the gates of the PMOSFETs P1, P2, and P3 that are coupled together. The control voltage Icon determines the reference current through the current source 320. The reference current generator 310 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,278 to Oguey.
The current source 320 generates a current corresponding to the control voltage Icon to the current sink 340 through the fuse block 330. In one embodiment of the present invention, the current source 320 includes a plurality of PMOSFETs P41, P42, . . . , and P4N having gates that are coupled together with the control voltage Icon applied thereon. The sources of the PMOSFETs P41, P42, . . . , and P4N are coupled to a high supply voltage VDD. A respective drain of each of the PMOSFETs P41, P42, . . . , and P4N is coupled to an end of a respectively one of fuses f1, f2, . . . , and fN within the switching block 330 that is a fuse block.
The other end of the fuses f1, f2, . . . , and fN is each coupled to a drain of an NMOSFET N5 of the current sink 340. The number of the fuses f1, f2, . . . , and fN that are opened within the fuse block 330 determines a level of the source current conducted through the current sink 340.
The number of the fuses f1, f2, . . . , and fN that are opened may be determined during fabrication of the voltage reference generator 300. Alternatively, the number of the fuses f1, f2, . . . , and fN that are opened may be determined after fabrication of the voltage reference generator 300. A fuse may be opened by electrical heat or laser heat. A fuse that is opened disconnects a respective one of the PMOSFETs P41, P42, . . . , and P4N from the current sink 340.
Alternatively, the voltage reference generator 300 may also be implemented with one MOSFET replacing the current source 320 and the fuse block 330. In that case, the gate width and length are properly designed to determine the reference current conducted through the current sink 340. In any case, the current sink 340 generates a reference voltage VREF corresponding to the level of the source current from the current source 320 and conducted through the fuse block 330 and the current source 320.
An operation of the voltage reference generator 300 is now described. Referring to
The PMOSFETs P1 and P2 form a current mirror, and the NMOSFETs N3 and N4 form another current mirror. A source voltage of the NMOSFET N1 is determined by the sizes of the NMOSFETs N1 and N2. Here, “size” means the ratio W/L of a gate width W to a gate length L.
When the PMOSFETs P1 and P2 have the same size, a source voltage VsN1 of the NMOSFET N1 is expressed as the following Equation (3):
Here, SN1 is the ratio of a gate width to a gate length of the NMOSFET N1, SN2 is the ratio of a gate width to a gate length of the NMOSFET N2, Sp1 is the ratio of a gate width to a gate length of the PMOSFET P1, and SP2 the ratio of a gate width to a gate length of the PMOSFET P2. n is a sub-threshold swing factor, and UT is a thermal voltage.
The source voltage VSN1 of the NMOSFET N1 is controlled by adjusting an on-resistance of the NMOSFET N4. The conductance of the NMOSFET N4 varies with temperature.
A current i1 flowing in the NMOSFET N4 operating in strong inversion within the linear region and a current i3 flowing in the NMOSFET N3 operating in strong inversion within the saturation region are respectively expressed as the following Equations (4) and (5):
When the PMOSFETs P1 and P2 have a same size, i1=i3 such that i1 can be rewritten as the following Equation (6):
Here, SP3 is the ratio of a gate width to a gate length of the PMOSFET P3. A current-voltage characteristic equation of a general MOSFET operating in saturation is expressed as the following Equation (7):
IDS=β(Vgs−Vth)2 (7)
From the Equation (7), the reference voltage Vref shown in
A threshold voltage Vth of an MOSFET linearly decreases with increasing temperature. Assuming that a temperature variation coefficient is α, the reference voltage Vref can be rewritten as the following Equation (9):
If the
term in the Equation (9) compensates for the temperature variation of the threshold voltage, the reference voltage Vref is not sensitive to temperature. That is, since a threshold voltage linearly decreases as temperature increases,
should be adjusted to linearly increase as temperature increases.
Since the mobility β of a MOSFET is proportional to temperature, a reference current Iref should be proportional to the square of temperature so that
is proportional to temperature.
The reference current Iref can be more accurately expressed as the following Equation (10):
The reference current Iref is proportional to the square of temperature T as shown in the Equation (10), and thus the above condition is satisfied.
Developing the reference current Iref shown in the Equation (6) by using the Equation (9), the reference voltage VREF can be expressed as the following Equation (11).
As shown in the Equation (11), by adjusting the sizes the MOSFETs in the reference voltage generator 300, the reference voltage VREF that is constant irrespective of temperature may be obtained.
In addition, referring to
In this manner, with operation of NMOSFETs N1 and N2 in weak inversion, the voltage reference generator 300 has low power consumption and generates a reference voltage that is independent of temperature. In addition, by using an active load N3, the NMOSFETs N1 and N2 operate in weak inversion without use of a resistor. The fuse block 330 is used to flexibly adjust the reference voltage level even after fabrication of the voltage reference generator.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A voltage reference generator comprising:
- a current source for generating a source current in response to a control voltage, wherein the current source includes a plurality of transistors;
- a current sink for conducting the source current to generate a reference voltage, wherein the current sink is comprised of one transistor that conducts only the entire source current generated by all of the transistors of the current source; and
- a switch block that is coupled between the current source and the current sink and that is configurable to determine a level of the source current conducted through the current sink, and wherein the switch block is comprised of a plurality of fuses;
- and wherein any current path formed through the current source, the current sink, and the switch block is a respective serial connection of only a high supply voltage, a respective one transistor of the current source, a respective one of the fuses, the one transistor of the current sink, and a low supply voltage.
2. The voltage reference generator of claim 1, wherein a number of the fuses that are opened determines the level of the source current conducted through the current sink.
3. The voltage reference generator of claim 2, wherein the number of the fuses that are opened is determined after fabrication of the voltage reference generator.
4. The voltage reference generator of claim 2, wherein the number of the fuses that are opened is determined during fabrication of the voltage reference generator.
5. The voltage reference generator of claim 2, wherein each transistor in the current source is coupled to one end of a respective fuse and has a gate with the control voltage applied thereon.
6. The voltage reference generator of claim 1, further comprising:
- a reference current generator for generating the control voltage.
7. The voltage reference generator of claim 6, wherein the reference current generator includes:
- a current mirror of two NMOSFETs (N-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) operating in weak inversion; and
- an active load coupled to a source of one of the NMOSFETs and formed by another transistor operating in strong inversion.
8. The voltage reference generator of claim 7, wherein the reference current generator includes:
- a current mirror of two PMOSFETs (P-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) operating in strong inversion and coupled to the current mirror of the NMOSFETs;
- wherein gates of the PMOSFETs generate the control voltage.
9. A voltage reference generator comprising:
- a current source for generating a source current in response to a control voltage, wherein the current source includes a plurality of transistors;
- a current sink for conducting the source current to generate a reference voltage, wherein the current sink is comprised of one transistor that conducts only the entire source current generated by all of the transistors of the current source;
- a switch block that is coupled between the current source and the current sink and that is configurable to determine a level of the source current conducted through the current sink, and wherein the switch block is comprised of a plurality of fuses;
- and wherein any current oath formed through the current source, the current sink, and the switch block is a respective serial connection through only a high supply voltage, a respective one transistor of the current source, a respective one of the fuses, the one transistor of the current sink, and a low supply voltage; and
- a reference current generator for generating the control voltage and including: a current mirror of two transistors operating in weak inversion; and an active load coupled to one of the transistors and formed by another transistor operating in strong inversion.
10. The voltage reference generator of claim 9, wherein the two transistors of the current mirror and the active load are each an NMOSFET (N-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor).
11. The voltage reference generator of claim 10, wherein the reference current generator further includes:
- a current mirror of two PMOSFETs (P-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) operating in strong inversion and coupled to the current mirror of the NMOSFETs;
- wherein gates of the PMOSFETs generate the control voltage.
12. The voltage reference generator of claim 9, wherein a number of the fuses that are opened determines the level of the source current conducted through the current sink.
13. The voltage reference generator of claim 12, wherein the number of the fuses that are opened is determined after fabrication of the voltage reference generator.
14. The voltage reference generator of claim 12, wherein the number of the fuses that are opened is determined during fabrication of the voltage reference generator.
15. The voltage reference generator of claim 12, wherein each transistor in the current source is coupled to one end of a respective fuse and has a gate with the control voltage applied thereon.
16. A voltage reference generator comprising:
- a current source for generating a source current in response to a control voltage, wherein the current source includes a plurality of transistors;
- a current sink for conducting the source current to generate a reference voltage, wherein the current sink is comprised of one transistor that conducts only the entire source current generated by all of the transistors of the current source;
- a switch block that is coupled between the current source and the current sink and that is configurable to determine a level of the source current conducted through the current sink, and wherein the switch block is comprised of a plurality of fuses;
- and wherein any current path formed through the current source, the current sink, and the switch block is a respective serial connection of only a high supply voltage, a respective one transistor of the current source, a respective one of the fuses, the one transistor of the current sink, and a low supply voltage; and
- means for generating the control voltage with a current mirror of two transistors operating in weak inversion and without using a resistor.
4608530 | August 26, 1986 | Bacrania |
5608348 | March 4, 1997 | Kearney et al. |
5949278 | September 7, 1999 | Oguey |
6140862 | October 31, 2000 | Hagura |
6297624 | October 2, 2001 | Mitsui et al. |
6337597 | January 8, 2002 | Fujikawa |
6441680 | August 27, 2002 | Leung et al. |
6462527 | October 8, 2002 | Maneatis |
- Korean Patent Application No. 1019980024142 to Kim, having Publication date of Jan. 15, 2000 (w/ English Abstract page).
- Korean Patent Application No. 1020000064442 to Park, having Publication date of May 9, 2002 (w/ English Abstract page).
Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 12, 2005
Date of Patent: Dec 4, 2007
Patent Publication Number: 20060061413
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Suwon-si)
Inventors: Hyo-Jin Kim (Suwon-Si), Yoon-Jay Cho (Seoul), Jeong-Seok Chae (Suwon-Si)
Primary Examiner: Jeffrey Zweizig
Attorney: Monica H. Choi
Application Number: 11/203,623
International Classification: G05F 1/10 (20060101);